Express & Star comment: Closure of tips is load of rubbish

Across the whole region barely a day goes by without the sight of giant piles of rubbish being dumped on the street or in a country lane.

And undoubtedly one of the main reasons why this problem has got worse relates to changes to the opening hours of local authority refuse dumps.

With cash in short supply for our councils, cuts to services have had to be made.

This has resulted in tips closing for two days a week or, in some cases, charging the public usage fees.

While this may provide a financial saving in the short term, it can easily be viewed as false economy when you take into account the consequences of the move.

There is little doubt that in many areas fly-tipping incidents have rocketed since refuse centre opening hours were reduced.

With that in mind, Walsall Council deserves praise for opening tips in the borough for seven days a week.

The Conservative-led administration says it hopes the move, which is due to come in from September, will see a drop in fly-tipping in Walsall.

Bosses are clearly intent on clamping down on the illegal dumping of rubbish, having already announced plans to rigorously pursue anyone caught doing it.

The authority is seeing the bigger picture as far as waste disposal is concerned, but will other councils follow suit?

Wolverhampton’s Shaw Road tip is closed for two days a week and its surrounding area is regularly blighted by fly-tipping. In fact, it is common to see piles of rubbish dumped on the roadside just yards from its entrance.

In Staffordshire, the decision to charge residents for getting rid of certain non-household waste items has certainly not proved to be universally popular.

We understand that local authorities have been forced to tighten their belts in recent years.

For the most part, they have done a decent job in ensuring that the most vital services have been protected.

However, there needs to be a rethink on tip closures. Put simply, these facilities need to be open seven days a week.

Walsall Council has set the standard for others to follow.